Desiderata and other things I remember about my Dad
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
I found this poem folded in a small square in my Dad’s wallet after he passed. He had not shared it with me during his lifetime. I do wonder why, but I know it was the right time for me to have it when I opened it and read it. It has never been decided who really wrote this poem. Many have wanted to claim it as their original words. Lucky for us, someone prose it and this mantra can guide us to a life of contentment and love.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, I can’t help but think of my favorite romantic author. He writes love stories from the heart. He makes it all believable and you fall in love all over again with love. Nicholas Sparks ! He is not a native of North Carolina but he reminds me of a saying my husband told me when we met. ” I may not have been born in North Carolina, but I got here as soon as I could”. Nicholas Sparks resides in New Bern NC. This little town,in fact, is where my husband and I spent part of our honeymoon. A beautiful, quaint, easy living city on the Neuse and Trent Rivers .
It is the birthplace to Pepsi. And Pepsi has its own museum you can visit. My husband and I visit New Bern when we are passing through traveling to Atlantic Beach, NC. And in our last visit, my husband took me on the tour by Nicholas Sparks’ home. I know, of course, we didn’t see Nicholas, but the ride on the river was worth it all, plus seeing his home was a treat. When Nicholas Sparks’ book , The Notebook was made into film, my girlfriends and I had to see it. We were then forever fans of anything Nicholas wrote . And he has continued to write many love stories . When his book, Nights in Rodanthe was being filmed at the Outer Banks, I had friends who auditioned to be extras and were able to say, ” I was in a movie with Richard Gere.” You can still see the cottage , Serendipity, but it has been purchased and moved to a safer location. After Hurricane Bill, it nearly crumbled into the ocean. In the movie it was called The Inn At Rodanthe.
Posted with Blogsy
. I enjoy creating floral designs for sweethearts. It is much like a wedding. A young man comes in to order flowers for a new girlfriend. He tells how special she is, her beauty, her smile,and her love . You know as a designer your design reflects his love. You 
Moments later, you look up and an older gentleman is ordering his flowers. He has been with his wife who he calls his sweetheart for fifty years. He talks of her smile, her beauty and her love for him. And you know his love must shine through the design. You personalized it with his love for her in your thoughts. A favorite story I must share happened 15 years ago. I was busy working on arrangements . I finished most of my orders and one of the coworkers gave me a message. A customer had requested for me to design an arrangement for his wife. He didn’t care about the cost. He said she was the puzzle piece he had looked for. He felt like the day he meet her he had come home. I asked , what is her age, how long have they been married, what are her favorite colors and flowers. He hadn’t given that information and he hadn’t left a number to call back. He just said he would pick them up at five. I was nervous. He had said the cost wasn’t an issue. I started creating and then hesitated, wishing, I knew more about this lady. I took a deep breath and thought, what would I want for Valentines flowers. I started again and thought of my husband, and created the design of my dreams. Finished, it sat on the case all afternoon. Customers ooh and aah for it. Five o clock and we are closing and still no man shows to pick up the arrangement. I’m worried. I know it is closing time. It had been a very long day and yet, I couldn’t leave without delivering this arrangement. I called my husband and told him I would be late. He said, I’ll come down and wait with you and later we can celebrate with dinner. Thirty minutes later, still no customer pickup. I opened the shop door to my husband and he said Happy